Record numbers of steelhead return to the Deschutes River, heralding progress in long-term fish reintroduction effort
The 2024 return of adult steelhead to the Pelton Round Butte hydropower project is the largest since the 1960s, with months still to go in the run
Madras, Ore. (November 7, 2024) — Biologists from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Portland General Electric have collected more than 250 returning adult steelhead at the Pelton Round Butte hydroelectric project – the largest steelhead return since dams were completed on the Deschutes River in the 1960s. Scientists say these notable early returns bode well for the year ahead, as Deschutes River steelhead runs typically span from July/August until the following March.